I was thinking about two women yesterday. Relax, I am referring to two notable women in the Bible. The first one was the Gentile woman who came to Jesus seeking His help for her daughter that was vexed by an evil spirit. Her story is found in 15th Chapter of Matthew. The second was a woman who approached Jesus seeking relief for a very serious blood disorder. That story is found in the 9th Chapter of Matthew. To me, there was a glaring similarity in their attitudes, one which I believe made it possible for them to have their prayers answered. It was a humble, believing heart.
The woman whose daughter was being tormented by an evil spirit, besides hearing His disciples urging Him to send her away, heard Jesus say: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” (vs. 24) She was not one of them. If that weren’t enough, when she kept pressing Him, he replied: “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” (vs. 26) I bet some women we know, to this comment would have replied in a huff: “What did you just call me?” and then walk away in a rage. Not her, she answered: “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Ironically, hers was a dogged determination. She was not going to give up that easily, another vital ingredient in getting our prayers answered.
The woman whom Jesus healed from her blood disorder had to fight her way to even get past the multitude of people flocking after Him. Once she got close enough, she reached out to touch the hem of His cloak believing that would be enough to get healed. She was right. One thing many people fail to consider is that, in order to take hold of His robe, she had to have been very close to the ground, perhaps even in a prone position. There are some who revere the Lord so much that when they pray, they fall prostrate before Him. This is an act of humility and reverence.
I repeat, to me, these women got their prayers answered because of their attitude. They never demanded anything relying mainly on His love, mercy, and compassion. May we keep this in mind whenever we draw near to God with our special petitions. I have heard some false teachers declare that we, as the children of the King, have every right to demand answers to our wishes and concerns. Wrong! God’s children give their Heavenly Father all the honor, reverence, praise, and glory He deserves always.
God’s word for today: (James 4:10) “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.”
